Tragedy and the Unexpected
by Andress Jade
Summary: This story is about how Melinda deals with what she thinks is menopause but turns out to be something else entirely. Her unknown husband and daughter are in this as well as Olivia. She and Bayard are married with fraternal twins. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Tragedy and the Unexpected

Chapter 1-Something's Wrong or Is It?

It is 2014, Bayard and Olivia are married with twins. Their twins are two years old. They have one of each, a boy and a girl. They named them Kyle Benjamin and Kaley Jade. Bayard's daughter from his first marriage, Colbie is now 10. Olivia is a wonderful stepmother to her.

Melinda's daughter Whitney is 19 now, she is in her third year of college at NYU. Melinda is still happily married to her childhood sweetheart Rick. He is in the medical field as well. He is a surgeon.

Olivia is still at the precinct but has cut back her hours quite a bit to spend time with the twins. Munch, Fin, Amaro and Rollins are still around. Cragen still runs things.

Since Elliot left two years ago, Olivia and Melinda have become closer friends. They depend on each other for everything now, they talk all time and spend a lot of time together. Melinda is happy that Olivia finally found happiness with Bayard. Sometimes Whitney watches the twins for them. A lot has changed in two years and we are about to find out what.

Melinda Warner wakes up from a restless sleep. She has been tossing and turning for hours. She hasn't felt right for several days, she hasn't mentioned anything to Rick or Whitney as not to worry them. She gets up out of bed to get herself a glass of water. She is careful not to wake Rick, since he barely got home himself from a long day at the hospital. He had surgeries backed up. Whitney was still up when Melinda went to bed, so on her way to get her glass of water she checks on her daughter. Whitney is sleeping soundly. Melinda smiles as she heads to the kitchen to get her glass of water.

She grabs a glass from the cupboard, turns on the sink and fills her glass. She turns off the water as she gulps down her water. She must be going through menopause. She has never felt like this. She will get checked out at the hospital before she heads to the morgue.

Since she can't sleep she decides to sit on the sofa and read for a bit. Reading usually helps her to fall asleep. Sure enough, before long Melinda falls asleep on the couch.

The next morning...

Whitney Warner comes into the living room and sees her mother asleep on the couch. She knows that her mother sometimes reads to help herself fall asleep. That must be what she did last night. Whitney approaches her mother and wakes her.

"Mom, it's time to get up." Whitney pats her mother's arm.

Melinda begins to stir.

"Mom?"Whitney repeats.

Melinda opens her eyes. She is a bit groggy at first as she rubs her eyes, stretches and yawns.

"Whitney?"

"Yes, it's me mom."

Melinda sits up and stretches once more.  
>"I must have fallen asleep on the couch last night. I had trouble sleeping."<p>

"I figured you did, because you usually come in here to read when you can't sleep as not to wake daddy."

Melinda stands up and when she does she feels dizzy and has to sit back down. Whitney notices and becomes concerned.

"Mom are you okay?"

"I'm just a bit dizzy, I will be all right. I will be seeing the doctor today before I go to work. I think I might be going through the early stages of menopause."

Whitney nods as she stands up realizing that her mother will be okay. Melinda stands up one more time, but more slowly. She doesn't feel dizzy so she goes into the kitchen to make herself some coffee. She is surprised to see some already made.

"Whitney, did you make the coffee this morning?"

Whitney pokes her head out of the fridge.

"No, daddy must have. I think he's in the shower right now."

"Oh okay." Melinda replies as she pours herself a cup. This is exactly what she needs right now.

She sits and drinks her coffee and talks to Whitney while she eats breakfast. Before long Rick comes in, smelling good from his shower.

"Hi honey, hi baby girl."

"Good morning, Rick."

"Good morning, daddy."

Whitney gets up to give her father a kiss on the cheek. She then gives her mom a quick kiss.

"I'm better go, I have an early class and I'm already running late."

"Okay, see you later!"

Rick sits down next to his wife.

"Did you have trouble sleeping last night? I woke up and you weren't next to me."  
>"Yes, I got a drink of water and then fell asleep on the couch. I didn't want to wake you so I decided to read in the living room."<p>

"Are you doing okay, honey?"

Melinda nods.

"Yes I have just been a bit worn out lately and have been having dizzy spells. I think it might be the early signs of menopause. I am going to see the doctor before I go to work."

"Well, I'm happy that you are going to get checked out today. I love you and I don't want to lose you."

"I love you too, Rick." Melinda says as she gives her husband a kiss.

Just what will Melinda discover at the doctor's office? Stay tuned and find out...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2-Unplanned Surprise

Melinda sits in the doctors office waiting for the results of her exam. She hopes it's only menopause and not something much worse, like tumors or cysts. She couldn't handle it if it was either of those things.

Before long the doctor comes back in with the results. He looks at Melinda with a smile on his face. Melinda takes that as a good sign.

"So what is the diagnosis, doctor?" Melinda asks as she looks straight at the doctor.

The doctor answers her with that same smile plastered on his face.

"Congratulations Melinda, you're going to have a baby. You're pregnant."

Melinda just gives the doctor a look of complete shock and disbelief.

A few hours later...

Melinda is in her office at the morgue. Ever since she heard the news from the doctor, she has had a hard time concentrating on her work. She is looking at some files on the computer, trying to concentrate which is proving impossible for her when there is a knock on the door.

Melinda gets up to answer the door and sees Olivia standing there. Melinda puts a smile on her face to hide how she's really feeling as she greets Olivia.

"Hello, Olivia. Please come in, I was just looking at some files on my computer."

"I hope I'm not disturbing you, Melinda. I can come back later."

"No it's all right, I could really use the distraction right now."

Melinda sits back down in her desk chair as Olivia takes the nearest chair and sits down.

"So what brings you by, Olivia?"

"We haven't spoken in a few weeks besides work related things, I wanted to see how you are doing."

"I'm doing fine, just keeping busy. Whitney is doing really good in school and Rick is been very busy at the hospital. How are Bayard and the twins?"

"They are all doing good. The twins are growing so fast. I can't hardly keep up with them anymore. I love them so much though. I love being a wife and mother."

Melinda puts her hand on Olivia's arm.

"I'm really happy for you, I can't wait to see the twins."

"I will bring them by soon so you can see them. But enough of that, I know something else is bothering you that you aren't telling me, Melinda. What is it?"

Melinda turns her face away from Olivia's so she can't see her expression. Tears well up in her eyes as she hesitates telling Olivia anything at all.

"Melinda, what is it? What's going on? You know you can tell me anything."  
>Melinda nods as she grabs a tissue to wipe her eyes.<p>

"Yes, I know. It's just it's very difficult to tell you what I have to tell you because I'm still in shock over it myself."

Olivia puts her hand on Melinda's arm.

"What is it?"

Melinda looks up at Olivia with the tears still in her eyes.

"I'm pregnant."

Olivia just looks at Melinda with her mouth open, disbelieving what she just heard.

A few hours later...

Melinda is at home lying down on her bed trying to catch a quick nap before Whitney gets home. She wants to be prepared for when she has to tell Whitney the news. She doesn't know how Whitney will take it. She and Whitney have always been close but this news will definitely be shocking for her since she is 19 now. Melinda didn't plan on having anymore children after Whitney. It never happened again as Whitney was growing up so Melinda wasn't expecting it. She isn't looking forward to Rick's reaction when she tells him later tonight. He has been happy with Whitney being the only child, she has always been Daddy's little girl and they have a special relationship. Bringing another child into the home will definitely change that.

Melinda begins to cry again as she covers her eyes with her hands.

"Why is this happening? Why now? What am I going to do? What if something is wrong with the baby? I'm over 40! I can't raise another child at this stage in my life." Melinda says to herself as she cries.

Whitney comes home from school and is in the kitchen getting something to drink in the kitchen when she hears her mother crying. She goes to her mother's room to find out what going on. She opens the door and sees her mother lying on the bed crying her eyes out. She becomes concerned.

"Mom, what's the matter? Why are you crying?" Whitney asks as she sits down on the bed next to her mother.

Melinda looks at her daughter with tears in her eyes as she wipes them with a tissue before answering.

"Whitney, you better get comfortable I have some news and I don't know how you will take it."

Whitney climbs up on the bed next to her mother and gets comfortable as she waits for her mother to speak.

How will Whitney take the news? Stay tuned and find out!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3-The Family's Reaction

Whitney Warner lies on her bed still trying to absorb what her mother just told her. Her mother is going to have a baby? This is supposed to be good news but Whitney can't help but feel a bit discouraged. What will this new baby bring to the family? It will change so many things, plus her mother is not exactly young anymore. What if something is wrong with the baby when it's born or if her mother has a miscarriage, she doesn't think that her mother can handle that. There is just so much to think about. Whitney needs to get out of the house and go for a drive. She has a lot of thinking to do. She really thinks this baby is a bad idea. She grabs her purse and jacket as she leaves her room. She leaves her mom a note as she walks out the front door and gets in her car.

Melinda is still in her room reeling from the reaction she got from her daughter about the news of the baby. If her daughter reacted the way she did, she can only imagine how Rick will react. This baby is going to change so many things. It is definitely going to be something they are going to have to deal with and face even if it will take awhile. Melinda knows Rick and what a good guy he is, he will support her with whatever happens.

Melinda decides to take a shower to help calm her nerves. While in the shower Rick comes home from work for a short break before he has to go back to the hospital. He heads for the kitchen as he makes himself a sandwich and a glass of iced tea. He sits and the table and eats while reading the paper.

Before long Melinda comes into the kitchen after her shower to have a snack, she is a bit hungry. She hasn't really eaten much since she found out the news and she needs to keep her strength up. She sees Rick with his back to her eating and reading the paper. She approaches him and wraps her arms around his shoulders.

"Hi, honey. What are you doing home so early?"

Rick looks up at Melinda as he places a hand on her arms. He smiles.

"I had a bit of a break from work so I decided to come home and eat and see you before I have to go back."

Melinda nods as she kisses her husband's cheek.

"Where's Whitney?" Rick asks.

"Last time I knew she was in her room."

Rick nods as he goes back to eating his sandwich and reading the paper. Melinda opens the fridge and looks for something to eat. She decides to make herself a salad. She grabs all the ingredients she needs as she begins preparing it.

"Rick, I'm glad you're sitting down because there is something I need to talk to you about. It's very important."

Rick looks up from his paper and over at his wife.

"What is it, dear?"

"I went the the doctor today and I got some big news."

Rick smiles.

"Oh yeah. How did that go? What did you find out?" he asks as he takes a sip of his iced tea.

"Rick, I'm pregnant."

Rick suddenly stops drinking as he begins to choke. He spits the tea across the table. Melinda goes to him to make sure he's all right.

"Are you okay, honey?"

Rick nods as he gains his composure. He then looks up at his wife.

"You're pregnant? Are you sure?"

"I'm positive, the doctor ran all the possible tests, and they all came out fine. The pregnancy test he took confirmed that I'm indeed pregnant."

Rick takes Melinda by surprise as he grabs her and pulls her onto his lap.

He starts to laugh.

"A baby! I can't believe it, a baby!"

"You mean you are happy we are having a baby?"

"Yes of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?" Rick asks as he wraps his arms around his wife.

"Well to tell you the truth I wasn't sure how you would take the news, especially since Whitney is all grown up and we weren't planning on anymore children."

"No we weren't but things happen when you least expect them. This is the best news ever!"

"I'm so glad you are happy about it because I am scared to death, Rick. I am so much older and I am worried that their might be something wrong with this baby. I don't know what I will do if that happens."

"Well, if that happens, you, me and Whitney will deal with it as a family. I love you, Melinda and I will be here for you for whatever you need. You can count on me."

"Oh Rick, I love you too." Melinda says as she wraps her husband in a hug.

Rick is happy with the news but just how will Whitney deal with it? They already have enough to deal with, will they have to be there for Whitney too? Stay tuned to find out!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4-The Trouble Begins

Whitney is driving around in her car trying to decide what she wants to do. She just can't go home yet, she still can't deal with the fact that her mother is going to have another baby. Suddenly her cell phone rings and it's one of her friends calling to invite her to a party. Most of the people there are friends she's had since high school and some she has met in college. She decides to go to the party since she has nothing better to do. She turns the car around and drives to where the party is.

Meanwhile...

Rick got a call to go back to the hospital and so Melinda is all alone once again. Since its still a bit early she decides to call Olivia and see what she is up to. She would love to see the twins and to play catch up with Olivia. Since Olivia has had the twins, she and Melinda haven't seen each other much except at work.

Melinda dials Olivia's number but it just rings and rings. Dejected Melinda hangs the phone up as she sits and thinks about what she can do to pass the time. She wants to talk to Whitney to see how she is doing since she heard the news about the baby, she wasn't too happy about it. Melinda changes her mind and decides to let Whitney be alone for awhile longer, when she is ready she will come around, besides she's probably got school work anyway. Melinda decides to take a nice, relaxing bath, and then she will have a snack. Later on she will watch a little TV, read, and go to bed, she has a busy day at work tomorrow.

Meanwhile at the party...

Whitney is at the party and is already fitting in and having a good time. It didn't take her long to get comfortable. One of her friends brings her a beer, she is hesitant to take it, since she is not a big drinker. With both of her parents being doctors, she knows the dangers of what alcohol will do to your body.

As she just stands there staring at the open bottle of beer, her friend interrupts her from her thoughts.

"Whitney, are you going to take the beer, or just stand there staring at it?"

"I don't know if I should, I have to drive home."

"Don't worry, you can stay the night here. We will make sure you don't drive home."

Whitney nods as she takes the beer.

"Okay, I guess one beer won't hurt me."

She and her friends smile at each other as they clink their bottles together and drink.

The beer starts to loosen Whitney up as she cranks the music up and begins dancing around. Her friends join her as they get a few guys to join in on the dancing. Pretty soon they are all dancing and having a good time, almost too good a time.

The more Whitney drinks, the more loose she gets and it proves to be a big mistake for her. She begins making out with the guy she's dancing with and her friends notice. They approach her and pull her away from him.

"I think it's time to stop drinking Whitney. Why don't we go upstairs and lie down?"

"Hey what are you doing! We was just gettin' warmed up!" the guy protests.

"Well, too bad, it's time for her to cool off."

Whitney doesn't like it as she gets upset and pulls away.

"No, I'm having fun! Leave me alone!" Whitney cries as she runs out the door and to her car.

Her friends all run after her.

"Whitney, no! You can't drive, you have been drinking! You'll kill yourself!"

They try to open the doors but they are all locked then they begin hitting the windows trying to stop her from going anywhere. Luckily, Whitney suddenly passes out on her steering wheel. Her door is unlocked, so they take her out and carry her inside. Her life was saved this time but it's only the beginning for Whitney. Her drinking will bring her more trouble than she ever imagined.

Stay tuned!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5-More Trouble

The next morning...

Melinda wakes up to the sound of her alarm going off. She turns over and shuts it off. She stretches and yawns. She sits up and rubs her eyes. She realizes Rick had to stay overnight at the hospital. It saddens her for a moment as she looks over at the clock and realizes what time it is. She has to be at work in an hour and she still has to take a shower, eat and check on Whitney so she better hurry.

Melinda gets up and puts her robe on. Her first task is to check on her daughter.

Meanwhile...

The bright sun streaming in wakes Whitney from her deep slumber. She tries to sit up but in doing so it causes her head to pound. It' s like someone has taken a sledge hammer to her head and hit her with it over and over. She has never felt worse in her life. She holds her head as she lies back down. She closes her eyes to the pain as she waits for the pain in her head to subside. Once it does, she looks around while still holding her head, trying to remember where she is. It takes her a moment and then she realizes she is at her friend's house. She had been drinking and passed out. Now she knows what is causing her head to hurt, she has a massive hangover.

She gets up out of bed, with her head still pounding as she makes her way to the bathroom to splash some cold water on her face.

On her way to the bathroom, she runs into her friend who came to check on her.

"Whitney, there you are! I was wondering when you were going to wake up!"

Whitney just holds her head tighter.

"Please don't yell, my head is killing me."

Her friend nods and smiles.

"I figured it might be, and I have just the thing to help cure it. Come downstairs with me and I will give you some."

Whitney nods as she continues to hold her head as she follows her friend downstairs.

Meanwhile...

Melinda is out of her mind with worry after seeing Whitney's empty bed, realizing she didn't sleep in it all night.

She calls Whitney's school first, and they hadn't seen her since yesterday. She then starts calling the neighbors and they haven't seen her either. Melinda then starts calling Whitney's friends. She can't get a hold of any of them. None of them are answering their phones. Melinda gets down to the last name on the list and dials the number.

The phone rings several times and then the answering machine picks up. Melinda leaves a message.

"Hello, yes this is Dr. Warner, Whitney's mother. I am calling to see if you have seen her. She didn't come home last night and I am very worried. Please call me if you see her or hear from her. Thanks."

Melinda hangs up the phone as she goes to take her shower.

"Thanks for taking me home, Sidney. I didn't really feel like driving my car home with my head hurting the way it does."

"You're welcome. I don't mind at all. You can get your car tomorrow."

Whitney nods.

"What are you going to tell your mom when you get home?"

"I don't know. I will think of something. I think she will just be happy to know that I am in one piece, to get too angry."

Sidney nods as they pull into the driveway.

"Well, here you are. Call me later and let me know how it went."

Whitney nods.

"Okay, I will."

She smiles through the pain in her head as she waves to Sidney as she pulls out of the driveway and drives off. Whitney heads inside to face the music, but as soon as she comes in the door her mother is sitting on the couch waiting for her and she doesn't look to happy.

"Hi, mom."

Melinda gives her a daughter a look to kill.

"Whitney Lee Anne Warner, where have you been? I was worried sick about you!" Melinda yells.

Whitney grabs her head as she sits down in the nearest chair.

"Mom, please don't yell. My head is killing me."

"I am very angry with you, young lady!"

"I know, mom and I'm sorry. I went to my friend Sidney's house. She gave me a ride home."

"Where is your car?" Melinda asks.

"It's at Sidney's-" Whitney starts to say as she feels herself getting sick and has to get up to run to the bathroom.

Whitney barely makes it to the bathroom as she throws up everything in her stomach.

Melinda follows her daughter to the bathroom and watches her as she gets sick.

"What's the matter with you, Whitney? Are you pregnant?"

Whitney looks at her mother, shocked.

"Of course not, I'm not that stupid!" Whitney manages to get out before she throws up again.

"Then what's the matter with you?"

Whitney wipes her mouth and looks up.

"I had too much to drink last night. That's why Sidney gave me a ride home this morning. I didn't want to drive home."

Melinda gives her daughter a shocked look.

"What were you doing drinking, Whitney?"

Whitney stands up, wipes her mouth and flushes the toilet before answering.

"I was angry and confused with the news about the baby. I didn't mean to drink so much."

Melinda realizes how late it is as she looks at her watch.

"I have to go to work now, but I want to talk more about this when I get home later. I will also let your father know about it too."

"Whatever, mom. I'm going to lie down. I feel awful."

Whitney leaves the bathroom and walks to her room. Melinda watches her daughter for a few moments with tears in her eyes. She loves her daughter and hopes she isn't going down a dangerous path. She had no idea the news of the baby would cause her to act out this way.

Melinda finally leaves for work and on her way there, she does a lot of thinking. What does the future hold?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6-Irresponsibility and Tragedy

Whitney spent the rest of the day in bed nursing her hangover. She didn't want to miss class but there was no way she could go to school feeling the way she did. It was very late when she finally started feeling better so she got up and decided to make herself something to eat and study so she wouldn't be too far behind in school.

Once she gets up to make herself something to eat, she realizes that both of her parents are still at work. That what it's like being the child of two doctors.

Whitney makes herself something to eat and then sits down at the kitchen table to work on her assignments.

Meanwhile at the morgue…

Melinda is leaning over the body of a teenage girl, trying to figure out how she died. When she gets cadavers this young it makes her think of her own daughter. She hopes she never has to go through what the parents of this girl are going through right now.

Melinda places a hand on her stomach where her unborn baby resides. She doesn't want anything terrible to happen to this baby either, as long as it's still inside, she can protect it from harm. This baby is the start of a new beginning in their lives.

Melinda gets back down to business of examining the body when Olivia and Amaro show up to get information about how the victim died.

A few hours later…

Melinda finally finishes up for the night as she heads home from the morgue. She didn't realize how late it was, she has never has this many dead bodies in one night. She is so tired and can't wait to get home and relax. Pretty soon, she won't be able to work long hours like this anymore.

On her way home, Melinda receives a call from Olivia asking her if Whitney would be able to watch the twins tomorrow evening because she and Bayard are inviting her and Rick to a concert and dinner.

"I know that Whitney would love to watch the twins tomorrow evening, Olivia. She loves those two. I will ask her about it when I see her in the morning before she goes to school."

"So you and Rick will join us for a concert and dinner then?"

"Of course we will, Rick and I haven't had an evening out in so long. I know he will be looking forward to it."

"Okay well then I will see you tomorrow evening then, Melinda. Goodnight.""Goodnight, Olivia."

Melinda hangs up her phone as she pulls into her driveway. She sees that Whitney's car made it home which makes her very happy.

Melinda goes in the house and it's dark as a tomb. She turns on the light so she can see where she is going. She sets her purse down in the nearest chair and goes to the kitchen to find something to eat. She is starving to death.

After Melinda finishes eating, she checks on Whitney. She sees Whitney sitting on her bed reading from a textbook.

"Hi, Whitney."

Whitney looks up from her book and sees her mom.

"Oh, hi mom.""It's awfully late, sweetie."

"I know mom, but I slept all day and I'm not the least bit tired so I decided to do some studying to make up for the day I missed yesterday."

Melinda nods.

"Well, okay but I don't want you to be up too much longer."

Whitney looks back up at her mother.

"Okay mom, but I don't have class until afternoon.""That's fine but I spoke to Olivia and she wants you to watch the twins tonight. She invited your dad and me to a concert and dinner."

Whitney smiles.

"I would love to watch the twins tonight! I haven't seen them in so long!"

"I figured you would jump at the chance to watch them. Well I'm going to bed so I will see you later."

"Okay mom, goodnight."

Melinda smiles at her daughter as she closes the door behind her.

The next day…

Whitney hurries home from school so she can get home in time to watch the twins, especially since she doesn't know what time Olivia and Bayard are bringing them over. She still needs to take a shower since she forgot to before leaving for school. Once she gets home she both her parents there which is a rarity nowadays.

Whitney is so happy to see her father, she hasn't seen him in two days.

"Hi daddy!" Whitney cries as she jumps into her father's arms.

"Hi baby." Rick replies as he hugs his daughter back.

They pull out of the hug.

"I have missed you, daddy. You have been working so much lately, I hardly see you anymore.""I know, but things will be slowing down for me here soon so I can spend more time with you and your mom, especially since we have a baby coming."

Rick places his hand on Melinda's stomach. Hearing the word baby sets something off in Whitney. She had almost forgotten about the baby and then her dad brings it up again.

Whitney excuses herself to take her shower clearly upset by hearing about the baby, she doesn't know why it upsets her so much but it does. She just can't get past it for some reason.

She finally finishes her shower and gets dressed. She heads out to the kitchen to get something to drink. Her parents are in their room getting dressed for their night out. She opens the fridge to grab a soda and spots a bottle of wine on the bottom shelf. Whitney stands their confused for a moment because her parents never keep alcohol of any kind in the house. She leans over, reaches it and pulls it out. She can tell it's a very expensive wine by reading the label. She decides to have a glass of it. She looks for the corkscrew in the drawer and finally spots it. She places the corkscrew on the bottle and twists as the cork comes loose easily. She grabs a glass from the cabinet and pours herself a glass. She hides the wine in the cabinet so her parents won't see her with it. She takes a drink from her glass and falls in love with it instantly.

She takes another sip as she hears her mother calling her name. She sets the glass down on the counter out of sight.

She goes to see what her mother wants.

An hour later…

Bayard and Olivia have arrived with the twins and by this time, Whitney is already a bit tipsy but is good at hiding it from everyone.

The twins are happy to see Whitney. They all say their goodbyes to Whitney and the twins as they head out the door. Whitney and the twins are left alone. She takes them in the other room to play.

"I will be right back you two. Stay here and play with the toys." She tells them her speech slurred.

Whitney goes back into the kitchen as she pours herself another glass of wine. She polishes off the bottle and then gulps down what's in her glass. Suddenly she hears a scream coming from the other room. She runs to see what is the matter, but in her inebriated state she falls a couple of times before making it to the room. Once she gets there she sees Kyle lying on the floor. Kaley is standing there crying as she looks at her brother lying on the floor.

Whitney rushes over to him to see what happened to him. She picks him up and sees a huge gash on his head and a big bruise on his cheek. He must have climbed up onto the table, slipped, banged his head on the chair before hitting the floor.

She starts crying as she holds him in her arms. She grabs her cell phone out of her pocket as she calls 911. The alcohol in her system along with the tears in her eyes make it almost impossible for her to focus on her task. She finally manages to get a hold of them.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"Um, I need an ambulance. One of the kids I was babysitting got hurt. He is only two years old, he hit his head, I think he fell off the table-" Whitney just keeps rambling on until the operator on the line stops her.

"Ma'am, what's your address?"

Whitney does her best to give the lady her address and once she does the lady tells her what to do until the paramedics get there. Whitney does the best she can since she is drunk on wine. The paramedics finally arrive and tend to Kyle. They realize that Whitney is drunk as they have the police arrest her. They finally realize who she is and who the twins belong to. They grab Kaley and take her with them.

The police take Whitney to jail after she tells them where her parents are. They take Kaley to the playroom to play till Olivia gets there. They are going to have to tell her the bad news about Kyle.

Whitney lays on the cot in the jail cell. She is still drunk and not fully aware of what is going on, all she knows is that she is in a heap of trouble.

Is Kyle okay? What will happen to Whitney? Stay tuned to find out!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7-Truth and Consequences

The next morning...

Whitney feels herself being violently shaken out of her deep sleep. She pulls the blanket off her head as she opens her eyes. The sudden light shining in her eyes blinds her for a moment as she pulls the covers back over her head.

The person attempting to wake her up finally speaks.

"Whitney, it's Fin. Wake up."

Whitney pulls the blanket off her head again as she turns around and sees Fin looking down at her.

"Welcome back, I never thought you would wake up."

Whitney lies there confused for a moment trying to remember where she's at and what happened. She licks her dry, cracked lips as she sits up. As soon as she does so, her head begins to pound. It feels like a jackhammer. She lies back down and grabs her head, as she suddenly remembers what happened.

Fin leans over to hand her the coffee.

"Here, drink this it will help you feel better."

She sits back up slowly and takes the cup of steaming liquid.

"Thank you, Fin." she manages to choke out. Her throat is dry and she can barely talk.

Fin smiles and nods as he watches Whitney drink it slowly. She feels the hot liquid slide down her throat. It helps her dry throat as she is finally able to speak clearly.

"Where is my mom?" she asks as she takes another sip.

"Your moms is at the hospital with Olivia and Bayard checking on Kyle. She will be here soon."

Whitney leans over and supports her head with her elbow as she puts her hand on her forehead.

"Oh my God, that's right. Kyle got hurt last night and that's why I'm in here. Mom and Olivia are going to kill me. I can't believe I allowed that to happen, what was I thinking?"

Whitney's body is racked with sobs as she cries her eyes out. She will never forgive herself if anything happens to Kyle.

"What you did was pretty stupid, Whitney." Fin replies as he sits at the foot of the bed.

Whitney looks up at Fin with tears in her eyes.

"I know, it's the stupidest thing I could have done."

"Why were you even drinking? I didn't even know you drank."

"I don't normally drink but ever since mom told me she was pregnant, I haven't quite been myself."

"Well I will admit that is shocking but it's no reason to drink. You are headed down a dangerous path, sweetie."

Whitney polishes off the coffee and hands the empty cup to Fin as she lies back down on the bed.

"I'm not in the mood for a lecture right now, Fin. I will be getting enough of that from mom later."

"You're right about that but I'm just trying to help."

"I know you are, thanks for the coffee." Whitney exclaims with tears in her eyes as she turns away from Fin. She hopes that he will take the hint and leave.

The silence is broken by someone clearing their throat. Fin and Whitney turn to the source of the sound. Whitney sees her mom standing on the other side of the bars giving her a look that Whitney is sure she has never seen before. Yes, Whitney knows she's in a heap of trouble.

Fin gets up to let Melinda in. He doesn't say a word to her because he knows how angry she is by her expression. Once he lets Melinda in, he excuses himself to allow them to be alone.

Melinda approaches her daughter, she stands and just looks at her, not saying a word with her hands on her hips.

Whitney just looks back at her mother, not daring to say a word. She has never seen her mother so angry before. She really screwed up this time. Suddenly Melinda starts pacing around the cell, her hands still on her hips. Just when she doesn't think her mom will say anything at all, she surprises her as she suddenly speaks.

"Whitney Lee Ann Warner! What in God's name were you thinking! Why are you drinking! Why were you drinking around young children! What is wrong with you! I didn't raise you to behave like this!Your father and I have told you many, many times how wrong drinking is! Why do you think we never have alcohol of any kind in the house! Where did you get whatever it was you drank!" Melinda stops pacing and looks at her daughter waiting for her to answer.

Whitney is afraid to open her mouth, to say anything at all.

"Well?" Melinda asks.

"I found the wine in the refrigerator, mom. I swear I only wanted a taste, I wasn't planning on drinking the whole bottle. It's just once I started I couldn't stop, it tasted so good. I know it was wrong and I'm sorry."

Melinda's look of anger changes to a look of confusion.

"We had wine in our fridge?"

Whitney nods.

"How can that be, your father and I never leave any alcohol of any kind in the house."

Whitney shrugs her shoulders.

"I don't know, mom. I just found it."

Melinda rubs her hands over her face to help calm herself.

"I will have to speak to your father about that. I wonder if he brought it home from the hospital after the party they had there awhile ago."

Whitney nods.

"Regardless of that young lady, I can promise you there will be no more alcohol of any kind in the house from here on out."

"Okay momma. May we go home now? I want to be in my own room, in my own bed."

"As a matter of fact, Whitney I think I'm going to talk to Captain Cragen and see if he will allow you to stay in here a bit longer. I want to make sure you learn from your mistake."  
>"But mom-".<p>

"No arguments, young lady. I'm going to go talk to the captain right now and I will be back in a bit."

Whitney lies back on the bed as she lets out an exasperated sigh and looks at the ceiling.

Melinda gets Fin's attention as he comes over and lets Melinda out and shuts and locks the door behind her.

Whitney just watches her mom walk away as tears form in her eyes. What a huge mess she has made of everything.

Whitney lies there for a few minutes as the tears roll down her cheeks, she doesn't bother to wipe them away. Suddenly she hears the jail cell door open, and when she looks over her vision is blurred by the tears in her eyes. She reaches up and wipes her eyes and then looks again, but before she can react, she feels a sharp slap across her cheek. The slap is so hard it makes her eyes water as she grabs her stinging cheek. She sits there holding her cheek, still unaware of who hit her.

"You little bitch! I will never forgive you for hurting my son!" Olivia screams.

Whitney looks up at Olivia through tear clouded eyes.

"I'm sorry, Olivia. I never meant for Kyle to get hurt. I hate myself right now. You have no idea how sorry I am for him getting hurt."  
>"NO YOUR NOT! IF YOU WERE, MY SON WOULDN'T BE LYING IN THE HOSPITAL IN A COMA!"<p>

"Olivia, how dare you hit or scream at my daughter!"  
>"How dare I, Melinda! How dare I? My son is lying in the hospital in a coma because of her. I will never forgive either of you for that! Consider our friendship over, I don't want you or your daughter around me, my husband or my children or I will have you arrested! I can make it happen, I'm a cop!" Olivia hisses.<p>

"Fine with me, Olivia. Don't you dare ever lay a hand on my daughter again and don't you ever threaten me!" Melinda cries.

"Don't worry, you stay away from me and I will stay away from you. Now excuse me while I go see my daughter. I wouldn't want anything to happen to her because of your daughter!" Olivia screams as she leaves slamming the door behind her.

Melinda looks at her daughter crying and holding her cheek as she leaves to get her an ice pack.

Just when they they think the worst is over, it's not. It's just begun and it won't be pretty...


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

An Attack of Conscience

It's been a week since Kyle's accident, and it's all Whitney has been able to think about. Since some time has passed, Whitney decides she wants to visit Kyle. She knows that Olivia told her to stay away but she has to know how he is doing, the guilt she is feeling is eating her up inside.

Once she gets home from school, she takes a shower and works on her homework. After she finishes her homework, she goes into the kitchen to get something to eat. While looking for something to eat, she sees a note left by her mother on the kitchen table. She picks it up and reads it.

_Whitney, your father and I are both getting off work early tonight, we are bringing home dinner so please don't cook anything. I will see you when I get home. Love, Mom_

Whitney finishes reading the letter and places it back on the table. Since she doesn't have to cook dinner, she gets a soda out of the fridge and heads to the living room to watch television till her parents get home.

Meanwhile...

Melinda finishes up some last minute things in the morgue before she calls it a night. She is looking forward to spending an evening with her husband and daughter, something she hasn't done in quite some time.

Once she is done, she grabs her things and turns out the light. She makes sure the door to the morgue is locked as she leaves to find her husband. She is glad his workload has lightened, so he can spend more time at home with his family. With the baby coming, she is going to need him more than ever, she doesn't want to depend on Whitney too much because she has school. Melinda hopes Whitney warms up more to the baby as time goes on. The way she has been acting lately doesn't leave Melinda too hopeful. Whitney has always been a good girl, and Melinda hopes she doesn't become an alcoholic. She has seen what it has done to people and doesn't want to see her daughter end up like them. Drinking alcohol is never the solution to any problem.

Melinda finally makes it to Rick's floor and heads to the nurses station to ask them where Rick is, but as soon as she gets there, Rick shows up.

He gets her attention by tapping her on the shoulder. Melinda turns around to see who it is, and looks up at the face of her husband. Her expression changes from frustration to happiness as she grabs Rick and hugs him fiercely.

"Did you really miss me that much?" Rick asks.

Melinda nods.

"Yes, I hardly ever see you anymore. I love when I get to see you and am happy that I will be able to spend more time with you."

Rick pulls out of the hug as he answers.

"I feel the same way, honey. I am so looking forward to spending time with you and our daughter and our little one when it arrives."

As he says that he places his hand on Melinda's stomach where their baby resides. Melinda looks down and places her and over Rick's.

"I feel the same way." Melinda replies as a tear rolls down her cheek.

She never thought she could be this happy. She wipes the tear from her cheek and looks up.

"Well we better get going, Whitney is at home waiting on us. I left her a note letting her know that we would be bringing dinner home."

Rick nods as he puts his arm around his wife's shoulder.

"Where do you want to go? You want pizza, chinese, mexican?"

"Those all sound good, but let me call Whitney and ask her what she wants."

Rick nods.

Melinda takes her cell phone out of her purse and dials the house phone.

Whitney fell asleep watching television and is woken up by the phone ringing. She shakes the cobwebs from her brain as she gets up to answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi Whitney, it's mom."

"Oh hi, mom."

"I was calling to ask what you wanted for dinner. Your father and are headed out to get the food and we didn't know what you preferred."

"It doesn't matter to me, mom. I'm starving so anything will be fine."

"Okay then, your dad and I will be home soon. See you then."

"Okay, see you soon. Bye."

Whitney hangs up the phone and heads back over to the couch to sit down. She didn't realize how tired she was, but then again she has been studying hard lately to make up for all the time she missed after Kyle's accident. After she has dinner she will leave to go to the hospital to see Kyle. She hopes she will be allowed to see him since Olivia told her to stay away. She still remembers the slap she received from Olivia the morning after Kyle's accident. She wants Olivia to know that she is truly sorry, she has had to come to grips with what she has done. It will take some time for Olivia to forgive her. Whitney doesn't realize is that seeing Kyle will be easier said than done. She has no idea what's in store for her.

To be continued...


End file.
